Misunderstandings
by Dorka
Summary: Bill gets jealous. Is Laura in love with someone else?
1. Chapter 1

Spoiler: Up to Collaborators 3.05

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: My thanks go to Sidhe for taking the time and beta-reading ;) tacklehugs

Bill was watching Laura's hair. The way it brushed against her shoulders while she was making notes of their meeting. The way the table lamp made it shine in all different kinds of red. He imagined how her hair would feel gliding through his finger, he thought of...

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Oh, Tom!"

He was taken out of his daydreaming with a big bump. Since when is she calling him by his first name? he asked himself, when he saw her break into a smile when looking up at Tom Zarek.

His stomach clenched. She likes him! he discovered! Laura Roslin, President of the Twelve Colonies likes Tom Zarek! Bill always saw something in Zarek's eyes that told Bill he was attracted to Laura, but he knew, or at least thought he had known, that Laura hated Zarek just as much as he did. And now she was smiling at him as if he was the nicest man on earth.

"I thought I would visit you! Since we came back I haven't seen you out of the quorum meetings once. I have to ask you something important, but if you're busy I'll come back later," he winked.

"Wait! I think the Admiral and I are finished for today anyway. The rest we can discuss tomorrow morning like we planned." She started to pull together her papers even before looking at Bill for reassurance.

She was sending HIM away because of ZAREK! His mood went from miserable to terrible.

He rose abruptly.

"Madame President," he excused himself, turned around and walked out of her office without looking at any of them.

"I guess your meeting didn't go too well!" Zarek wondered while sitting down.

"Actually, it did. I don't know what got into him just now!" Laura still stared at the empty door where the Admiral has left. After so many years she still couldn't figure out this man completely. He was all wrapped in secrets. She thought that they were slowly getting back to their relationship before New Caprica, but maybe she was wrong. She tried to focus on Tom, not letting him notice how much this bothered her.

- - -

Bill was still fuming when he entered his quarters. He smashed the papers on his desk and sat down, burying his head into his hands. How could he be such a fool, thinking she had missed him?

He recognized that she seemed a little different. That something was bothering her, but was sure it had something to do with the events on New Caprica. He would never have guessed that it was because of Zarek.

Bill grabbed some reports and tried to focus on his work, but his mind still wandered to Laura. Four months of fear, worrying that she might be dead. Four months, without one minute passing by that he didn't think of her. He tried to tell himself that he was going back to New Caprica to save all those 41,000 people, not only for just one person. But the very first reason in his mind was still Laura. He knew it was selfish and he shouldn't think that way, but having Kara and Laura down there with the Cylons was just unacceptable to him. He sighed another time, desperately trying to wipe out the thoughts of what Laura and Tom were doing at this moment.

- - -

"Sooo, what do you think?" Zarek asked a bit nervous, taking a sip of his ambrosia.

"Tom, I think it's the best idea you ever had," she smirked at him. "I'm kind of surprised that you want to get married on your old days!"

- - -

The next morning, Bill's mood hadn't cleared up. He was angry with himself for not looking forward to the meeting with the President as he usually was. He was angry for the way he'd acted after his meeting the day before, and for allowing his feelings for Laura to intrude on his work.

The Admiral entered Galactica's conference room to meet Laura, who was going through her papers.

"Madam President."

She looked at him.

"Admiral, it's good that you are a little ahead of schedule. I have an appointement in an hour, and I was already thinking about having to delay it."

She invited him to sit down oppsite her.

_Appointment? _he asked himself. _That doesn't really sound like buisness! _

The next hour they spent going through the news from both civilian and military sides. Bill didn't feel like making any small talk with Laura, especially not today, so he kept it all to business. When they finished, he started to stand up and leave, when he felt a warm hand placing on his.

"Bill, what's wrong?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do! You are barely speaking to me and you have that odd look on your face! It's not how it used to be between us."

He could see the sadness in her eyes, but he knew that she was only talking about their friendship, nothing more.

"I think we both changed during these 16 month," he responded, trying not to show too much emotion. She opened her mouth to reply, when the Vice President entered the room, smiling at Laura, trying to ignore Bill.

Tom Zarek still didn't know what made Laura so fond of Bill. In his eyes, Adama was only a quiet man with some outbursts from time to time, but who seemed to have many secrets.

"I hope you don't have an excuse for postponing our appointement! I swear, I won't let you go to the wedding in your boring suits, Laura!"

Bill's face went blank. W_edding? _the word echoed in his head. _Laura is planning to marry Zarek? _It hurt him even more that she haven't told him! He couldn't believe it! He suddenly felt the urge to hit something or somebody very hard.

"We'll talk about this later, Admiral." She stared at him for a long moment, before she rose and left the room with Zarek. When they were out of hearing range, Bill banged his fist onto the table.

- - - -

"So he actually IS angry with you?"

"I've no idea what happened between the warm greeting when we came back from New Caprica and now! I thought he'd be as happy as I was to see him. Now I doubt that very much."

"I think he has strong feelings for you, Laura, just as I know you have for him. I know you well enough to be able to see it."

Laura sighed.

He continued. "And that's why I'll invite him for my wedding as well! Cassandra will be happy if she gets to know that the President AND the Admiral will attend our wedding!"

Laura liked Cassandra very much. She was the mother of one of her students down on New Caprica. Her first husband died during the attacks on Gemenon, so she raised her daughter alone. Laura had been very surprised when Cassandra told her that she was in love with Tom Zarek. Laura thought that she was too nice for that terrorist, but the last days on New Caprica had changed her mind about him and they all three became close friends.

"I guess I have to accept that, if that makes your future wife happy!" she said with a little grin.

"I'm happy to hear you say so. So that means I can trust you to give the invitation to Adama? You'll see him in a few hours anyway!" He handed her an envelope.

"You should give it to him yourself. It's your wedding!"

"And you are our maid of honor, so that's your job now!" He won't let her back out.

"I still think I'm too old for being Cass' bridesmaid! I feel very honoured that you two asked me but..."

"No buts!" They stepped through a door where a little market opened to them. "And now I need your opinion as a woman to choose the right wedding rings which Cassandra will like! Plus we have to get you a dress. These suits of yours are just creepy!"

Laura rolled her eyes and they both stepped into the crowd of people.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors note: Again big thanks to my beta Sidhe ;)_

Bill heard a knock on his door. He sighed, already guessing who it was.

"Come in!"

Laura steped into his quarters, feeling the air immediately becoming cool again between them.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked her in his usual Admiral tone.

"No, thank you!" She handed him the reports she already finished reading.

"You could have sent Tory to bring me these."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Listen, I really want to know what is bothering you. We can't work together like this anymore!" She paused and added with a whisper, "I can't work like this anymore!"

Laura was really desperate. If only she knew what was going on.

He turned his back to her, pretending to arrange something on his desk. "I guess we have to!"

"What do you want me to do? Resign? Should I drag Baltar back so he can ruin this whole thing agan? Or should I ask Zarek? What is it you want, Bill?" She didn't notice she was raising her voice. He suddenly turned around.

"Zarek! It's exactly about Zarek! I can't believe how fast you forgot what he did! He was one reason Baltar became president and he's a frakking terrorist!" His own voice was beginning to rise as well.

"Yes, he was, but he recognized that he made a big mistake! Everyone deserves a second chance, Bill!"

"I'd call it more than only a second chance you gave him!" He was fuming by now.

"We've been through a lot, Tom and I. Why are you so negative about my friendship with him?"

"Friendship? You mean frakking and planning to get married is nothing more than friendship? I can't believe you haven't told me about it earlier! I thought WE were close!"

Lauras eyes widened. Of all possible scenarios, she never imagined this one. Bill thought she was about to marry Tom, and he also thought she didn't trust him enough to tell him. She thought he knew her better. She felt disappointment rising.

"You're a frakking idiot, Bill!" she told him. She dropped Tom's wedding invitation onto his desk and left his quarters without even looking back.

Bill's eyes wandered from the door she just slammed to the envelope that was lying in front of him. He could already see what it was. A wedding invitation. He couldn't believe Laura called him an idiot and then invited him to the reason of their whole fight. He already wanted to rip it into pieces when his eyes hit the names on the card.

'Tom Zarek and Cassandra Hayley.' He had to read it several times before he finally realised what it meant. Slowly he sat down, burying his face in his hands. He had never felt like such a fool in his life. He had no idea how he would talk to Laura again after this. Maybe she didn't even want to talk to him anymore. No wonder, after the way he treated her the last two days!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

24 hours later on Colonial One

Laura was standing in front of Tom arranging his bow tie.

"Cassy will be head over heels," she winked.

"Bill as well! I'm happy I was able to talk you into wearing this dress."

Secretly, Laura was too. It looked similar to the one she wore to the celebration of New Caprica, only that it was dark green with very wide sleeves. "New Caprica," she sighed. Strangely, when she heard that name, the first thing that she thought about wasn't the bad events that happend. Wasn't the Cylons, wasn't detention. It was that night when she and Bill slept in each others arms, looking at the stars. Nothing had happened, but she never in her life felt so close to somebody like she did that night. Laura didn't know what she should think about Bill's behaviour last day.

"I don't think Bill will come." She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. She hadn't seen or heard from the Admiral since she stormed out of his quarters, so she didn't know where they stood with each other.

"He will! Though I still can't believe he thought that WE are getting married. We can even only stay friends as long as we don't start discussing politcs," he smiled. She knew he was trying to cheer her up. "Okay, I think I'm ready now!"

They left Laura's room and stepped into the bigger one which was decorated for the wedding. The few guests, not more than 30 people, were already there, but one person was missing. She tried to smile for Tom's sake and sat down in the first row while Tom coninued toward the priest. A minute later a soft melody began to play and Cassandra, dressed beautifully in a long red dress, came around the corner, smiling at Tom.

The ceremony started, but Laura caught herself. She wasn't fully concentrating so she nearly missed her commitement. She stood up and handed Tom the rings, speaking the short prayer like the convention required. When she turned around she froze for a second. The chair beside hers wasn't empty anymore. Slowly she sat down, feeling Bill's gaze on her.

The wedding ceremony went by very fast, and when Laura started to rise from her seat Bill grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Listen, I need to talk to you Laura!"

"I don't think this is the right time or place."

"Please, I want this sorted out!"

She sighed and sat back while everyone was leaving the room to the party in the hanger of the Colonial One. They were alone. For the first time Laura felt kind of uncomfortable in his presence. Bill was trying to get a grip on himself as well so he could utter his following words.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I hope that someday you will forgive me. I was a fool, bringing you into this position! I had no right to be jealous but I couldn't help myself. My brain went just blank at the thought of you being together with Zarek." He paused. "I think it would have gone blank with any other man as well!"

Laura frowned. She could see he was having a hard time saying what he wanted to, but she didn't plan to make it easy for him.

"What I'm trying to say is... I care about you in a way that goes beyond friendship. I know it's difficult with our current positions, but maybe in a few years when we find earth, we could..."

Laura stopped him by putting an arm around his neck and pulling him closer into a kiss. She didn't know if it was wise or not, but she knew, if they continued like they had been, not dealing with their feelings for each other, they would go crazy sooner or later. Bill's jealousy was only the start. She didn't know how the crew would react, or how the press would take it, but for once she didn't care.

"Wow, that was unexpected," Bill said with a grin on his face when they pulled apart.

Laura started to giggle. "You know what? I even surprised myself!" They both started to laugh now, and ended in another even more passionate kiss.

"As much as I would like to let the whole universe know about us already – even the Cylons – I think we should continue this when there's no chance of someone interrupting!" the admiral said, rising to his feet and offering Laura his arm.

"You are right. Let's go!"

They both went down to join the wedding party, where they were greeted by a smiling Zarek.

"So I guess you two straightened out your differences?"

"More than that, I guess. I wanted to apologize for my behaviour. I know..."

"No need, just make sure you two invite my dear wife and me to your wedding as well," Tom interrupted the admiral and excused himself. "Speaking of which, I promised Cassy a dance to the next song!"

"So, would you like to dance as well?" Bill asked Laura.

"Sure!"

A slow song started to play and the couple started to dance in perfect harmony. They were both reminded of their dance on Colonial day.

"I think this was the time I first knew it."

"Knew what?" Laura asked.

"When we first danced together. I think then I realized that I was in love with you."

"Me, too," she said, snuggling closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder while he kissed the top of her head. They danced into a new, happier life.

Fin


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